There are several methods as means for providing and buying a music signal. For example, as one method, a medium for example a CD (Compact Disc) on which music has been recorded is bought. As another method, music can be bought by receiving a radio broadcast and recording a music signal of the radio broadcast to a record medium.
Recently, a method for providing and buying music using a server system that stores a large amount of music data to a hard disk, transfers particular music data of the hard disc to an external record medium, and records the transferred music data to the record medium is known. For example, server systems are disposed in stores and train stations. A user who will buy music data takes a record medium to a store pays a predetermined amount of money to the store, and records the music data stored in the server system to the record medium. As a result, the user can buy music data from the server system.
Generally, music information stored in a server system has been compressed in consideration of storage capacity, transfer rate, and so forth thereof. Thus, music data can be transferred and recorded in a shorter time than the real performance time. Additional information such as title, performer, performance time, and so forth of music can be checked in the forms of text and graphics by the server system. Corresponding to the additional information, the user can select a song that he or she will buy. In addition, the user can listen to demos of music information stored in the server system.
When the user buys music using a sever system disposed in a store or the like, he or she should perform determinations and operations for determining music that he or she will buy, performing a money paying process, and so forth in the store. When the user has not decided music that he or she will buy, he or she searches for music information and listens to demos of music. Thereafter, the user decides music that he or she will buy. The larger the amount of music stored in the server system, the longer the user should spend time for selecting music in the store. Thus, the user cannot smoothly buy his or her desired music. On the other hand, when a music distributor advertises music information stored in the server, with the operation screen and so forth of the server system disposed at the store, only a limited amount of information can be provided. Thus, with the operation screen and so forth of the server system, advertisements cannot be sufficiently performed. To solve a problem of which it is necessary to take a long time to record music information, a technology for predicting and providing a record completion time of music information has been disclosed (as Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 11-45515). However, such a technology cannot solve a problem with respect to searching for contents that the user will buy and to listening of demos thereof.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a distributing server, a terminal unit, a record medium, a content distributing system, and a distributing method that allow the user to easily and fully select music that he or she will buy and to quickly and securely select music that he or she has decided to buy and a music information provider to obtain many information providing means for users who will buy music.